Pirates: Martial Arts Masters on the Straw Hat Ship

"That's terrifying power..."

Ronan's expression was serious, and his chest heaved violently.

This overwhelming force was far stronger than he had anticipated.

How could a random pirate captain possess such immense strength?

If I hadn't used my explosive force to deflect most of the impact, my arm would probably be broken by now.

but--

Ronan saw it clearly as well.

Although this pirate captain was strong, his techniques were so simple that they were almost crude.

There are absolutely no tricks involved.

They relied entirely on their physical strength to fight.

In comparison, his own power guidance and counterattack techniques are unparalleled.

After figuring out the truth, Ronan felt calmer.

Were you weaker than your opponent? No problem.

Skill, speed, and agility—that's Ronan's true killing intent.

His breathing gradually stabilized, and his mind returned to a state of tranquility.

He no longer intended to fight head-on, but instead planned to use his agility and strength to completely tear this beast, which only knew brute force, apart.

Just then—

"Ding!"

[System notification: Host has entered deathmatch mode]

[Cultivation Multiplier x5]

For an instant.

Ronan felt as if his body was on fire.

Strength, speed, reaction, perception—

A surge across the board, as if propelled to its peak by some invisible storm!

Blood transformed into magma and surged within the body.

Everything around me became incredibly clear at that moment.

Ronan looked up.

A sharp glint flashed deep within his eyes.

The wind howled, and the killing intent surged like a tide.

Ronan leaned slightly forward, his entire being resembling an arrow about to be released—

The fivefold increase in cultivation power poured into Ronan's limbs and bones like a torrent.

Blood and qi surged wildly within the body, and cracking sounds echoed between the muscles and bones.

A wave of heat surged through his meridians, causing him to exhale a long, incredibly comfortable breath.

Just then—

The properties panel appears automatically.

[Strength: 10 → 11]

[Physical Strength: 10 → 11]

Ronan's eye twitched slightly.

This was the first time he had felt the reality of "becoming stronger" so clearly during the battle.

However, he didn't have time to investigate further.

That enormous figure—

They've pounced again!

"Kid! If this is all you've got, then die!!"

The captain of the split-sail roared, his arms growing larger and larger, his greatsword tearing through the air and slashing down again with howling wind and thunder.

This time, it was faster, more ruthless, and more decisive than before.

But Ronan took a light step, twisted his waist and hips, and his figure floated away like smoke—

The broadsword grazed his shoulder as it slashed down, sending sparks flying like flying shards of stone.

He dodged it.

It was so easy it was almost despair-inducing.

Ronan remained completely calm, analyzing the situation in his mind:

—Strength and physique have improved, but speed and mental strength remain unchanged.

In other words, whatever you use or train in battle, the system will strengthen that.

A martial artist's intuition ignited within him.

Combat is the very essence of training.

"I see."

Ronan thought to himself, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

So he began to deliberately guide the pace of the battle.

The captain roared and swung his sword, charging like a heavily armored beast.

Ronan, however, moved swiftly and gracefully amidst the wind of blades, as if dancing in a storm.

Every dodge was clean and swift;

Every side step was perfectly timed;

Like—

walk the dog.

The pirate captain finally realized something was wrong, and his anger surged to the top of his head:

"You wretched brat! All you can do is run away?!"

Ronan didn't answer; he didn't even spare him a glance.

He was focused on feeling—

The rhythm of breathing, the muscular contractions, the explosive power of joints, the shifting of weight in each step...

Those martial instincts that were originally hidden deep within were now catalyzed by a five-fold increase and became incredibly vivid.

Suddenly, the system flashed again—

[Speed: 10 → 11]

A glint flashed in Ronan's eyes:

"...Just as I expected."

In just a short moment, his strength, physique, and speed all increased by one point.

And this—

This is just the beginning of the Deathmatch multiplier.

The wind howled, and the pirate captain was driven to near madness by his rage.

But Ronan's figure grew lighter and faster amidst the flashing blades—

Ronan once again deftly dodged the incredibly heavy slash.

The blade whistled past his ear, the wind it generated even causing his hair to flutter slightly.

Behind them, the pirate captain roared angrily, his chest heaving with rage:

"You little brat! Stop right there!!"

But Ronan only glanced at him indifferently.

There was even a hint of... relief in that look?

Because he suddenly felt that the stupid guy in front of him who only knew how to swing a knife was much more pleasing to the eye.

It's truly remarkable that someone who's the first sparring partner offered up after transmigrating is this strong.

Ronan even felt a pang of gratitude:

You must persevere a little longer so I can practice more.

With this in mind, he stopped running away and instead—fought back.

The pirate captain had just lowered his sword, his center of gravity shifting slightly, and that momentary opening became huge and clear in Ronan's eyes.

Ronan lightly touched the ground with his feet, his body sliding sideways like a wisp of smoke, avoiding the furiously slashing blade.

The next moment, the wooden stick trembled slightly, and the force was concentrated, the spear intent like a dragon.

Point, stab, burst!

The wooden stick, like a dragon breaking through the sea, pierced the pirate captain's chest in an instant!

"Well--!!"

The pirate captain groaned as his skin was pierced, blood splattering, but it didn't penetrate to the bone as Ronan had predicted.

The tip of the stick stopped beneath the thick, iron-like pectoral muscles, like stabbing against a wall of flesh.

Its defenses are ridiculously strong.

Ronan frowned.

Is this what the physique of people in this world is like?

If a martial arts expert from his previous life had been stabbed by this staff, he would probably have died on the spot.

But this guy in front of me only howled in pain; it was just a superficial injury.

The pirate captain roared and retaliated, slashing horizontally with his greatsword, accompanied by a chilling whistling sound.

Ronan once again ducked and slid in, like a fox entering the forest, easily dodging the attack.

Backhand —

The wooden stick was swung up with tremendous force and smashed hard towards the pirate captain's head!

"Bang!!"

With a dull thud, the captain's head lolled to the side, and a bloody gash instantly appeared on his forehead.

And the wooden stick in Ronan's hand... shortened again.

The tip of the stick shattered, and wood chips scattered everywhere.

Ronan's heart sank slightly:

The human body in this world is far too abnormal.

at the same time--

The battle between Ronan and the pirate captain shook the entire town; the sounds of fighting were incessant, and the commotion of the two clashing was like the collision of two ferocious beasts.

Just then—

In the shadows outside the town, several figures hurried over.

The one leading the group was the old man who had escaped earlier, followed by his grandson, and then two men and a woman.

One of them was a black-haired boy wearing a straw hat.

"Don't worry, old man."

"We'll drive all those pirates away!"

Beside him was a young man with short, algae-like hair.

His muscles were clearly defined beneath his white T-shirt, and the three swords at his waist and the green belly band were quite eye-catching.

He glanced sideways at the battlefield in the town, his tone calm yet sharp:

"It's the Rift Sail Pirates."

The captain's bounty is 3.2 million Berries.

It sounds like he's just stating the facts, but the natural aura he exudes gives off a sense of suppressed power.

The orange-haired girl followed closely behind, her slender waist moving with the agility of a cat, a hint of seriousness in her expression.

"Three million peso is already considered very dangerous in the East China Sea."

I heard that the Riftsail Pirates once massacred a branch naval outpost, which is why their bounty was raised.